ML19320B620
| ML19320B620 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png |
| Issue date: | 07/02/1980 |
| From: | Rooney V Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8007140525 | |
| Download: ML19320B620 (8) | |
Text
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JULY 2
1990 Docket No. 50-271 LICENSEE: Vermont Yankee fluclear Power Corporation FACILITY: Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station
SUBJECT:
VERMONT YANKEE RADWASTE INCINERATION MEETING, JUNE 24, 1980 On June 24, 1980 the NRC staff met with Vermont Yankee Nuclear Poder Corporation and their consultants to discuss technical issues related to a possible proposal of a radwaste incinerator for Vermont Yankee.
The incineration system discussed was the Helix System described in the enclosure, which was developed at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory.
Additional performance testing (e.g., tracer studies) is planned at LASL to evaluate the application for incineration at Vermont Yankee.
The staff asked and answered various questions relatd to review of incineration systems.
In particular, the staff noted that allowance in scheduling should be made for possible public involvement in the licensing process.
Information was also given as to the types of safety and environmental analysis which are necessary to evaluate incinerator application.
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation anticipates a decision will be reached on their radwaste processing intentions about August of this year.
^
A list of attendees is attached.
2,G % m Vernon L. Rooney, Pro ct Manager Operating Reactors Branch #2 Division of Licensing
Enclosures:
As stated 80071406.15 p
s cc:
Ms. J. M. Abbey John R. Stanton, Director Vennont Yankee Nuclear Power Radiation Control Agency Corporation Hazen Drive 77 Grove Street Concord, New Hampshire 03301 Rutland, Vemont 05701 John W. Stevens Mr. Louis H. Heider, Conservation Society of Vice President Southern Vermont Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power P. O. Box 256 Corporation Townshend, Vermont 05353 25 Research Drive Westboro, Massachusetts 01581 Dr. Mars Longley, Director Occupational & Radiological Health John A. Ritsher, Esquire 10 Baldwin Street Ropes & Gray Montpelier, Vermont 05602 225 Franklin Street Boston, Massachusetts 02110 New England Ccalition on Nuclear Pollution Laurie Burt Hill and 9 ale Farm Assistant Attorney, General West Hill - Faraway Road Environmental Protection Division Putney, Vennont 05346 Attorney General's Office One Ashburton Place, 19th Floor Public Service Board Boston Massachusetts 02108 State of Vennont 120 State Street Ronald J. Wilson Montpelier, Vermont 05602 81018th Street, N. W.
Suite 802 W. P. Murphy, Plant Superintendent Washington, D. C.
20006 Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation Honorable M. Jerome Diamond P. O. Box 157 Attorney General Vernon, Vennont 05354 i
i State of Vermont 109 State Street David White Pavilion Office Building Co-Director i
Montpelier, Vennont 05602 Vermont Public Interest Research Group, Inc.
Mr. J. E. Griffin, President 26 State Street Vennont Yankee Nuclear Power Montpelier, Vermont 05602 Corporation 77 Grove Street Brooks Memorial Library Rutland, Vermont 05701 224 Main Street Brattleboro, Vermont 05301 Vermont Yankee Decomissioning Alliance Vermont Yankee Decomissioning 127 Main Street Alliance Brattleboto, Vermont 05301 5 State Street Box 1117 Mr. Robert L. Smith Montpelier, Vermont 05602 Vt. Yankee Nuclear Power Corp.
25 Research Drive Westboro, MA 01581
~
FELIX PIOCFSS SYSTEMS PROCESS INFORMATION BULLETIN LOW LEVEL C0FSUSTIBLE WASTE INCINERATION SYSTEM INTRODUCTION HELIX PROCESS SYSTEMS IS DEVELOPING A LOW-LEVEL COMBUSTIBLE WASTE INCINER-ATION SYSTEM FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS AND REGIONAL WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITIES.
HELIX PROCESS SYSTEMSr A DIYlSION OF HELIX IECHNOLOGY CORPORATION, IS A MAJOR SUPPLIER OF QUALITY RADI0 ACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR BWR, PWR, AND CANDU NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS IN THE USA, CANADA, MEXICO, AND OVERSEAS. WF ARE THE LEADING SUPPLIER OF STATE-0F-THE-ART OFFGAS SYSTEMS TO NUCLEAR PLANTS.
HELIX IECHNOLOGY ALSO SUPPLIES LARGE HEPA FILTRATION AND IODINE REMOVAL EQUIP-MENT TO NUCLEAR FACILITIES.
IHE HELIX LOW-LEVEL WASTE INCINERATOR SYSTEM IS BASED ON THE CONTROLLED-Ain IhCINERATION PROCESS (CAI) DEVELOPED AT LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY (LASL). LASL HAS SEVERAL YEARS OF OPERATING EXPERIENCE WITH THEIR SYSTEM -
WHICH IS USED FOR THE VOLUME REDUCTION OF TRANSURANIC (TRU) CONTAMINATED WASTdS. HELIX IS MODIFYING THE LASL DESIGN TO MAKE IT SUITABLE FOR PROCESSING FISSION AND CORROSION-PRODUCT CONTAMINATEL WASTES.
THE HELIX SYSTEM WILL BE EASILY MAINTAINABLE TO MINIMIZE OPERATOR RADIATION EXPOSURE, COMPATIBLE WITH AVAILABLE SOLIDIFICATION PROCESSES, FLEXIBLE WITH REGARD TO LAYOUT AND SPACE CO'ISIDERATIONS, ECONOMICALLY JUSTIFIAB i, AND WILL UTILIZE HIGHLY RELIABLE, PROVEN COMPONENTS. IHE OFFGAS SYSTEM IN ? ARTICULAR INCORPORATES PROVEN TECHNIQUES AND EQUIPMENT DEVELOPED AND MANUFACTURED BY HELIX FOR PARTICULATE AND VOLATILE RADIONUCLIDE REMOVAL WHICH ARE IN USE IN Ov R A DOZEN OPERATING POWER PLANTS.
c ADVANTAGES
- 1) HELIX OFFGAS AND LIQUID RADWASTE EXPERIENCE INSURES THAT THE SYSTEM CAN MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR NUCLEAR WASTE PROCESSING.
- 2) PROVEN, STANDARD COMPONENTS THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM PROVIDE A HIGH DEGREE JF RELIABILITY RESULTING IN MINIMUM DOWNTIME DUE TO EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTION.
- 3) HELIX OFFGAS MODULES PROVIDE THE ULTIMATE IN IODINE REMOVAL AND HEPA FILTRATION WHICH MINIMIZES RADIONUCLIDE RELEASES.
- 4) CONTROLLED AIR INCINERATION RESULTS IN LOW PARTICi' LATE LOADING ON THE OFFGAC SYSTEM, CONTINUOUS AND SIMPLE OPERATION, AND HIGH VOLUME REDUC-TION.
- 5) EXTENSIVE TESTING AND ACTUAL INCINERATION OF RADI0 ACTIVE MATERIALS IN THE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM PROVES THE DESIGN BASIS AND ASSURES SUCCESSFUL OPERATION OF A COMPLETED INSTALLATION.
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SYSTEM DESCRIPTION i
THE HELIX SYSTEM FOR USE ON COMBUSTIBLE LOW-LEVEL FISSION AND CORROSION PRO-DUCT CONTAMINATED WASTES IS BASED ON THE LOS ALAMOS CAI PROCESS. HOWEVER, THE LOS ALAMOS thCINERATOR DESIGN IS FOR THE VOLUME REDUCTION OF TRU WASTES.
HELIX, THEREFORE, HAS MADE SEVERAL DESIGN MODIFICATIONS TO HANDLE THE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF FISSION AND CORROSION PRODUCTS TYPICALLY FOUND IN NUCLEAR POWER REACTOR WASTES.
THE HELIX INCINERATION SYSTEM CONSISTS OF FOUR SKID MOUNTED SUB-SYSTEMS AND A CONTROL PANEL. IHEY ARE THE INCINERATOR, OFFGAS SYSTEM, SCRUB SOLUTION SKID, AND ASH REMOVAL SKID.
IHE INCINERATOR IS A COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CONTROLLED AIR UNIT UTILIZING A PRIMARY COMBUSTION CHAMBER FOLLOWED BY AN EXCESS AIR AFTERBURNER CHAMBER.
DUE TO THE LARGE DIAMETER OF THE PRIMARY CHAMBER AND THE RESULTANT QUIESCENT BURNING, AND THE SECONDARY CHAMBER'S EFFECTIVENESS IN PARTICULATE COMBUSTION, THE OFFGAS SYSTEM PARTICULATE LOADING IS VERY, VERY LOW. IHIS WILL YlELD A NUMBER OF BENEFITS SUCH AS LONG HEPA AND SCRUB FILTER LIFE, LOW RADIATION FIELDS FROM THE OFFGAS COMPONENTS LUE TO MINIMAL RADIONUCLIDE CARRYOVER, ANL REDUCED POSSIBILITY OF ASH SLUDGE PLUGGING IN THE SCRUB SOLUTION SYSTEM.
ALSO, LICENSING OF THE SYSTEM SHOULD BE EASED BECAUSE THESE INCINERATORS HAVE BEEN THOROUGHLY TESTED AND EXCEED FEDERAL EPA AND STATE AIR QUALITY STANDARDS FOR PARTICULATE EMISSIONS.
BOTH CHAMBERS ARE MADE OF CARBON STEEL AND ARE COATED WITH A MASTIC MATERIAL TO PROTECT THE SHELLS FROM ACID-GAS CORROSION. IHE CHAMBERS ARE LINED WITH A HIGH DENSITY CASTABLE REFRACTORY INCORPORATING UNIOUE HELIX DESIGN FEATUFES TO MINIMIZE PERMEATION OF RADIONUCLIDES INTO THE REFRACTORY.
PROPER OPERATING TEMPERATURES ARE MAINTAINED BY BURNERS WHICH USE EITHER PRO-PANE OR FUEL OIL. ONCE PROPER OPERATING TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN ESTALLISHED, THE PRIMARY CHAMBER BURNERS ARE TURNED OFF SO THAT FUEL IS REQUIRED ONLY FOR THE AFTERBURNER AT A RATE OF LESS THAN 3 GPH OF FUEL OIL OR EQUIVALENT AMOUNT OF PROPANE.
A HYDRAULIC RAM FEEDER IS PROVIDED To LOAD SOLIDS INTO THE INCINERATOR.
LOADING IS A BATCH OPERATION PERFORMED BY AN OPERATOR LOCATED BEHIND A SHIELD WALL. THE FEEDER CAN HANDLE BATCHES UP TO 1 CUBIC YARD VOLUME THROUGH A 28" x 34" OPENING. OTHER THAN REMOVAL OF LARGE NONCOMBUSTIBLE OBJECTS, FEED PRETREATMENT IS NOT REQUIRED. SMALL NONCOMBUSTIBLES SUCH AS NUTS AND BOLTS WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH PROPER OPERATION. THE STEPS TAKEN FOR CORROS!ON RESISTANCE, SUCH AS THE PROPER SELECTION OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, ALLOW HIGH LEVELS OF PVC MATERIAL (TO 50%) TO BE BURNED WHICH ELIMINATES THE NEED FOR SEGREGATION OF FEED CONSTITUENTS.
ORGANIC LIQUID WASTES AND SPENT LOW LEVEL ION EXCHANGE RhSINS ARE INJECTED INTO THE UNIT THROUGH SEPARATE PORTS.
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INCINERATION SYSTEM ootan sousericatsom pua.e scaue SOLUTIO _N_SYSTE_Id Figure 1 IHE INCINERATOR EFFLUENT FROM THE AFTERBURNER CHAMBER FLOWS INTO THE OFFGAS TREATMENT SUB-SYSTEM. IHE HIGH TEMPERATURE GASES ARE COOLED IN A GUENCH COLUMN BY MULTIPLE REDUNDANT SCRUB SOLUTION SPRAYS. THE GAS THEN ENTERS A HIGH ENERGY VENTURI SCRUBBER WHERE THE REMAINING PARTICULATES ARE REMOVED.
ANY ACID GASES ARE NEUTRALIZED IN A COUNTERFLOW PACKED COLUMN. A CONDENSER COOLS AND REMOVES WATER VAPOR FROM THE GAS.
A SELF CONTAINED HELIX OFFGAS MODULE FILTERS AND REMOVES TRACE IODINE FROM THE COOL, ACID-FREE GAS. IHE OFFGAS MODULE CONTAINS A MIST ELIMINATOR, RE-HEATER, PRELIMINARY HEPA FILTER, IODINE ADSORPTION SECTION AND FINAL HEPA FILTER.
IHE MOTIVE FORCE FOR THE GAS FLOW IN THE' SYSTEM IS PROVIDED BY A BLOWER WHICH FOLLOWS THE HELIX OFFGAS MODULE. BY LOCATING THE BLCWER AT THE DISCHARGE OF THE SYSTEM, THE ENTIRE INCINERATOR SYSTEM IS UNDER NEGATIVE PRESSURE THUS IN-SURING 'seMT SHOULD ANY L'!AKAGE OCCUR, IT WOULD BE INTO THE SYSTEM.
A SCRUB SOLUTION SUB-SYSTEM PROVIDE", A CAUSTIC SOLUTION TO THE QUENCH COLUMN, VENTURI SCRUBBER, AND PACKED COLUMN TO COOL THE GAS, REMOVE ENTRAINED PARTI-CULATES, NEUTRALIZE ACID GASES, AND ABSORB CERTAIN VOLATILE RADIONUCLIDES.
IHE SUB-SYSTEM CONSISTS OF A CAUSTIC SURGE TANK, PUMP, COOLER, AND CARTR!DGE
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FILTER. IHE FILTER REMOVES PARTICULATES FROM THE SCRUB SOLUTION. THE FILTER ELEMENTS ARE MADE OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS SO THAT ONCE THEY ARE EXPENDED, THEY CAN BE BURNED IN THE INCINERATOR.
A flELIX DESIGNED ASH REMOVAL SUB-SYSTEM COMPLETES THE PACKAGE. ASH IS RE-MOVED FROM THE PRIMARY INCINERATOR CHAMBER BY GRAVITY AND IS TRANSFERRED TO A HOPPER PNEUMATICALLY. THE HOPPER CAN THEN BE LOCATED REMGTELY TO PRO-VIDE FOR SHIELDING REQUIREMENTS AS WELL AS FOR PROXIMITY TO THE SOLIDIFICA-TION EQUIPMENT.
A SYSTEM NOMINALLY RATED AT 350 LB/HR OF SOLID WASTE WILL HAVE THE SKID DI-MENSIONS SHOWN ON FIGURE 2.
THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT FOR THE SYSTEM IS SIXTEEN FEET.
THE INCINERATOR CHAMBERS WILL BE LOCATED BEHIND SHIELD WALLS WHILE THE LOADING POINT FOR THE RAM FEEDER WILL PENETRATE THE WALL TO ALLOW LOADING OF THE UNIT IN A LOW RADIATION AREA.
THE INCINERATION SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE A VERY HIGH DF FOR THE RADIONUCLIDES TYPICALLY FOUND IN llW. IHE OFFGAS SYSTEM IS BASED ON PROVEN PARTICULATE AND 10 DINE REMOVAL TECHNIQUES AND SIMILAR flELIX COMP 0NENTS HAVE BEEN IN -
SERVICE IN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS FOR YEARS. WE HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE TESTING ON THE OFFGAS MODULES AND HAVE VERIFIED HIGH REMOVAL EFFICIENCIES. FURTHER TRACER TESTING WILL BE PERFORMED AT LASL TO DETERM!NE THE DF OF THE WET OFF-GAS COMPONENTS SO THAT AN OVERALL SYSTEM DF CAW BE ESTABLISHED.
VOLUME REDUCTION FACTORS FOR llW TYPICALLY FOUND IN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS IS AN AVERAGE OF 40:1. THIS WILL VARY IN EITHER DIRECTION DEPENDING ON THE EXACT I
NATURE OF THE WASTE TO BE PROCESSED. 10N-EXCHANGE RESIN VOLUME REDUCTION FACTORS ARE EXPECTED TO BE A MINIMUM OF 15:1. ALL THE VR FACTORS ARE GIVEN PRIOR TO SOLIDIFICATION.
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ATTENDANCE LIST JUNE 24, 1980 YANKEE ATOMIC ELECTRIC COMPANY M. Strum P. Littlefield R. Smith VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER CORP.
R'. Burke B. Leach HELIX PROCESS SYSTEMS R. Abrams NRC V. Rooney F. Skopec V. Malafeew C. Miller R. Bangart T. Johnson P. Grant R. Clark *
- Part time attendance